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What is People's Democratic Party (PDP)?
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). It was founded in 1999 by the former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and came to power in J&K after the October 2002 Assembly elections. The party again came to power again in 2014 with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its alliance partner.
After Sayeed's death in 2016, his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, succeeded him as the head of the party and the Chief Minister of the state. The coalition government could not last a full term as the BJP withdrew its support in June 2018 over concerns about terrorism and radicalisation in Kashmir.
After Sayeed's death in 2016, his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, succeeded him as the head of the party and the Chief Minister of the state. The coalition government could not last a full term as the BJP withdrew its support in June 2018 over concerns about terrorism and radicalisation in Kashmir.
Since 2004, PDP has always had one member each in the Lok Sabha and in the Rajya Sabha.
Mufti switched from the Congress to V P Singh's Jan Morcha to Congress again before forming his own party -- the PDP -- in 1998. In 2002, Mufti Sayeed became the chief minister (CM) of the state with just 16 seats in the assembly.
PDP's highest tally in the J&K Assembly of 89 seats came in 2015 when it won 28 seats. The BJP won 25 seats and later formed an alliance with the PDP. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed became the CM of the state.
PDP had won 3 out of 6 seats in J&K in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. With the state being under Governor's rule for the last one year, assembly elections are due. Meanwhile, there are rumours about Mehbooba Mufti's brother trying to win over legislators in the party. As such, the 2019 Lok Sabha elections might decide the power equations in the party in the near future.
Founders
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was an Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir, who formed his own regional party - People's Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999.
Born in Baba Mohalla of Bijbehara in Anantnag district of J&K on January 12, 1936, Sayeed had his early education at a local school and graduated from S P College, Srinagar. He went on to obtain a law degree and Master's degree in Arab History from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Under his visionary leadership, PDP emerged as a leading force in Jammu & Kashmir politics.
Muzaffar Hussain Beigh
Muzaffar Hussain Beigh is the founder member and patron of the PDP. He was born on May 8, 1946 at Wahdina Baramulla and did his masters from Harvard Law School and worked as an advocate in top law firms of the US and India. He has also served as Advocate General of J&K from 1987 to 1989.
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